Ophthalmologists are not sure the exact cause of macular degeneration, but they have discovered factors that can increase or decrease a patient’s risk of developing the condition. The following list can help you adopt a healthy lifestyle that will lower your chances of a macular degeneration diagnosis.

Avoid smoking or stop if you currently smoke. Research has found that people who smoke a pack or more a day are twice as likely to develop blindness from macular degeneration.

Eat a healthy diet that includes lots of green, leafy vegetables. Spinach, collard greens, and kale are great choices. Fruit should also be included in your regular menu.

Consume fish twice a week or more for omega-3 fatty acids. The best choices include those that are high in omega-3, like sardines, salmon, herring, albacore tuna, and mackerel.

Cut out the processed foods like cookies, cakes, candy, and potato chips. Many pre-packaged food items are not healthy for you. Also, avoid soft drinks.

Maintain a healthy weight. If you are not currently at a healthy weight, now is the time to look into a diet that will get you there. Consult a physician to monitor progress and avoid gimmicky diets.

Protect your eyes from blue and ultraviolet light with sunglasses. A hat or visor that shields your eyes from sunlight while outdoors can also be helpful.

Keep your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar at normal levels. This goes hand-in-hand with exercise and a good diet.

Age brings on significant changes in our bodies. Wrinkles deepen, hair grays, and our eyesight starts to diminish. Activities that were once easy may become more challenging. One of the most common changes people notice as they get older is the inability to read without the aid of eyewear.

What Happens to My Eyesight as I Age?

Adults may notice changes in their eyesight starting in their mid-40s. This will usually appear as a difficulty seeing objects or text up close.

This condition is known as presbyopia. It’s completely normal and happens as the lens inside the eye begins to harden. At first, you may be able to compensate by holding your reading material in a different position or using better lighting. Eventually, you may need a pair of reading glasses.

Increased Risk of Poor Eyesight

Diminished eyesight is a very natural part of the aging process. While it is normal, there are things we may be doing that will speed the process along or make it worse. The following activities and conditions can increase your risk of poor eyesight as you age:

Family history of macular degeneration or glaucoma

Chronic conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes

A job that is very demanding on the eyes or includes hazardous conditions

Taking some medications to treat other problems, including antihistamines

Poor vision-related habits, like excessive time spent staring at a computer

It’s okay to need help seeing as you get older. The best way to keep your eyesight at its best is to visit your ophthalmologist regularly. Talk to your Eye Michigan doctor to learn more about how to take good care of your eyes as you age. Make an appointment today!

As we age, many of us find that our vision isn’t what it used to be. There are many things that can affect our ability to see the world. It’s important to understand the most common diseases, so you know when to seek medical attention.

Cataracts

Cataracts appear as clouding on the lens of the eye. This area is made of protein and water. As we age, the protein may begin to clump together, causing the cloudy appearance. Cataracts usually begin with fuzzy or cloudy vision and glare-related issues. Patients may also describe double vision in one of their eyes. This condition can be corrected with surgery.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma causes damage to the optic nerve that brings on blindness. Patients may notice no symptoms at first. As the condition worsens, they will begin to notice peripheral sight fading.

Glaucoma ranks as the biggest cause of vision loss in the U.S. It may be treated with medication or eye drops. When a prescription doesn’t work, surgery may be recommended.

Temporal Arteritis

This condition occurs when large and medium arteries in the temple are blocked or become inflamed. Patients may describe a severe headache and pain when chewing. After a few weeks, the patient may also experience sudden vision loss in a single eye accompanied by a low-grade fever. Vision may be restored if the condition is caught early.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is a disorder that can happen in patients with diabetes. As the disease changes retinal blood vessels, they can begin to leak and grow where they shouldn’t be. This can lead to hemorrhaging. As the vessels heal, they can cause retinal detachment. Diabetic retinopathy symptoms include shadows, distorted or blurred vision, and partial loss of vision in one eye.

Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration causes diminished sight at the center of the patient’s field of vision. It happens when the macula deteriorates. Patients may notice difficulty reading, driving, or performing other tasks. This condition can be treated with laser surgery.

If you notice a change in vision or any of the symptoms mentioned above, contact your eye doctor immediately for an appointment. The best way to ensure maintaining healthy vision is by visiting your ophthalmologist yearly for a comprehensive dilated eye exam.

Vitreoretinal diseases affect the vitreous and retina. This region, which is found at the back of the eye, is not visible. The retina serves as an extension of the brain. It creates the interior lining of each eye and consists of light-sensitive nerve endings that are photoreceptor cells known as cones and rods. Vitreous is the gel-like material that fills the area between the retina and the lens.

What Conditions Affect the Retina and Vitreous?

Many conditions can affect the retina and vitreous, including:

Diabetic Retinopathy

This diabetic eye condition often has no early warning signs. Risk increases the longer a patient has diabetes. Proper treatment can dramatically increase the chances of retaining vision.

Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration happens when the center of the retina deteriorates. It is more common in older individuals and can be prevented with a healthy lifestyle.

Retinal Detachment

Retinal detachment occurs when the retina pulls away from the layer under it, disconnecting it from the blood vessels that are needed to supply nourishment and oxygen. A retinal tear can also happen when the vitreous pulls hard enough to cause a tear to form.

Retinoblastoma

Retinoblastoma is a form of cancer that grows in the retina. It can occur when something goes wrong and causes a gene mutation while a baby is inside the womb.

Retinitis Pigmentosa

This condition is inherited and can lead to vision impairment. Symptoms begin with decreased night vision and a loss of mid-peripheral vision. Other symptoms include slow adjustment from dark to light, blurry vision, poor separation of color, and tunnel vision.

Serious eye symptoms are an indication that something is very wrong. Some changes in our vision can be minor, like occasional tearing up or temporary dryness in certain environmental conditions. Then there are times when the problem should not be ignored.

Eye Symptoms That Require an Ophthalmologist

How do you know when a symptom is minor and when it could be an emergency? If you experience any of the following, then you need to see an ophthalmologist as soon as possible.

Double vision

Crossed eyes

Increased floaters or flashers

Pain in one or both eyes

Sudden blurry vision

Dark spots

Dry eyes that itch or burn

Inability to focus on near or far objects

Clouded vision

Excessive tearing or discharge from eyes

Bump on your eyelid

Glare or halos in your vision

Eyelid that won’t close

Peripheral vision loss

Unexplained blindness

Difficulty adjusting in dark areas

High sensitivity to light

Gray veil in field of vision

Straight lines that appear wavy

What is Wrong with My Eyes?

Many things can cause serious eye symptoms. Common causes include nearsightedness, macular degeneration, glaucoma, or a detached retina. Many eye conditions do not cause pain, so make sure you don’t ignore a change in your vision just because it doesn’t hurt.

What Do I Do If I Experience Serious Eye Symptoms?

Timing is very important, so don’t delay seeking medical assistance for serious eye symptoms. If you notice any of the conditions listed above or other symptoms, please get in touch immediately to schedule an appointment with Eye Michigan or go to your nearest emergency room.

As many older individuals will attest to, as you age, you tend to be more susceptible to a variety of conditions and impairment. While you can experience vision problems at any age, there are certain conditions that become more prevalent as you get older. You may even notice that you are becoming more reliant on your glasses or that things are becoming a bit blurrier than normal. While worsening vision is a normal sign of aging that most adults over 40 experience, certain types of visual impairment are indicative of eye disease.

Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) gradually diminishes your sharp vision while cataracts cloud your vision. Diabetic Eye Disease and Glaucoma gradually cause you to lose parts of your visual field. All of these diseases can lead to impaired living and should always be taken seriously. While none of them are completely reversible, there are treatment options available to slow down the process and reduce the damage.

It is recommended that you schedule an appointment with your eye doctor to perform a comprehensive dilated exam even if you think your vision is in tip-top shape. The best time to detect eye disease is before you notice any changes, that way, you can correct the problem before the damage takes place.

Vision is something many normally-sighted individuals take for granted on a daily basis. But what happens when a person suddenly starts to lose their central field of vision? In some cases, this may be caused by a condition known as macular degeneration.

Macular degeneration is caused by the deterioration of the retina, the part of the eye that actually receives images and sends them to the brain. The central part of the retina is known as the macula, and is the region that allows us to perform everyday sighted tasks like driving, seeing our loved ones or reading an email. What initially causes this deterioration, however, is less known. Funding for research has been scant, but scientists have thus far concluded that the condition is more likely to occur in older individuals (55 and older), and results from a combination of hereditary and environmental factors.

The primary symptom of macular degeneration is vision loss. Usually, this symptom starts as a loss of central vision, creating a blurred or completely blind spot at the center of one’s field of vision (since the macula is at the center of the retinal layer of the eye). This may cause sufferers to have difficult doing otherwise simple things, and can lead to frustrating disorientation, anxiety and/or depression.

Treatment of macular degeneration focuses on slowing the progression of vision loss rather than attempting to cure it. The most commonly-suggested treatment is the adoption of a healthy lifestyle that includes proper diet and exercise and avoidance of smoking and direct eye exposure to UV rays.

Although we often don’t think much about the effect that our diet can have on our eye health, the reality is that the foods we eat certainly do play a significant role in our vision, especially as we get older.

You may have heard that carrots and other foods are high in beta carotene and are important for eye health. Beta carotene is a form of Vitamin A. This nutrient helps to ensure that the retina functions properly along with the rest of the eye.

Aside from carrots, however, there are plenty of other vitamins and minerals in other foods that can keep your eyes healthy throughout your life.

Eat leafy green vegetables to reduce the risk of macular degeneration

Consuming leafy green vegetables such as spinach, mustard greens, collard greens, kale and others have been shown to reduce the risk of macular degeneration and the onset of cataracts. Try to incorporate these foods more often into your diet. These foods have other health benefits as well, such as: reducing your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses.

Consume fish to keep your eyes healthy

Consuming fish frequently is widely known to be associated with several health benefits like a lower risk of heart disease and stroke, but it can also help keep your eyes healthy. Studies have found that people who eat fish 2 to 3 times per week have a lower risk of developing macular degeneration. Research suggests that the omega-3 fatty acids in fish and other foods are what may help protect adult eyes from macular degeneration.

Continue eating carrots and other fruits and vegetables

A diet that is generally high in fruits and vegetables will also help keep your eyes healthy. The antioxidants in fruits and vegetables reduce the effects of oxidation on the body and eyes, which may prevent eye illnesses like macular degeneration and cataracts.

If you have any questions about your diet and eye health, or to learn about eye vitamins, contact Eye Michigan.

Summer months are packed full of fun with the kids and grandkids which often means putting off your own needs. With school back in session, you finally have an opportunity to spend some time focusing on yourself. Now is a great time to attend to your own health which includes scheduling an eye exam.

Frequency

Regular eye exams are crucial for keeping track of your eye health. Eye problems can develop very quickly and sometimes even without warning. Not only do eye exams assist you in identifying current issues but can also help catch developing problems in advance.

Hidden Conditions

As you age, conditions such as glaucoma and macular degeneration can seriously impact your vision. Eyes offer unprecedented information regarding full-body health and can alert doctors to cardiovascular problems, too!

Fast Response

Many treatment options are available to our patients which can help stop and sometimes reverse the effects of eye conditions. With the prevalence of so many irreversible conditions related to our eyes, it is clear why examinations are critical. By addressing any problems sooner rather than later, you can sometimes stop the progression of potentially harmful conditions.

As a standard of treatment, Eye Michigan provides all of our patients with a comprehensive eye exam prior to prescribing any treatment. With our team of ophthalmologists conveniently located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, you have access to the eye care you need, when you need it. To learn more about our practice, please visit us online today or schedule an appointment by calling our office at (248) 221-1022.

Macular degeneration is a major cause of vision loss that affects over 10 million Americans. In this article, we will break down the two types of macular degeneration. As a degenerative ailment, macular degeneration is more common in those over 40 years of age.

Considered an incurable eye disease, macular degeneration is caused by the deterioration of the center potion of the retina called the macula. This part of the retina is the back layer of the eye used to record the light that we see. This light is sent to the brain via the optic nerve where it is interpreted.

The Types of Macular Degeneration

The macula is the most sensitive area of the eye as it receives the images at the center of a person’s field of vision. When the macula begins to deteriorate vision becomes blurred rapidly. There are two types of macular degeneration: wet and dry. The vast majority (around 90%) of macular degeneration cases are the dry type, while the remaining 10% or so are the wet type.

Dry age related macular degeneration does not involve any leakage of serum or blood from the eye, however, a loss of vision may still occur, while wet macular degeneration involves the loss of blood or serum as well as a more rapid loss of vision.

Patients with the dry form may have good central vision but may have other limitations such as difficulty with reading, fluctuating vision, difficulty seeing at night, and other impairments.

The early stages of dry macular degeneration are usually associated with only minimal vision disruption. To have your eyes checked for macular degeneration, please call the Eye Michigan team of eye care experts at (248) 221-1022 to schedule an appointment. If you would like to learn more about our practice, please visit us online today.

LenSx Cataract Surgery

The LenSx® Laser signifies a bold leap forward in cataract surgery. The first femtosecond laser cleared for use in cataract surgery, it brings image-guided computer precision to refractive cataract surgeons.